Reply #130: Wait a minute there's a very small Florida (and some Texas) connection [View All]

Probably a tangient...

Senator Connie Mack

Senator Connie Mack represented the State of Florida in the United States Congress for 18 years, including the past 12 years in the United States Senate where he played a leading role in economic and health care issues. At the time of his retirement in 2001, Senator Mack served as the Republican Conference Chairman, making him the third-ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership. He was first elected to that position in 1996.

Senator Mack became the first Republican in Florida history to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 when he received more than 70 percent of the vote, more than any other Republican candidate in the nation. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served three two- year terms as a member of the House of Representatives from southwest Florida. In April of 1994, Mack was named by Campaign and Election magazine as one of the 20 most popular elected officials in America. As a House member, U.S. News and World Report identified him as one of the nation’s most effective "new rising political stars." In 1996, Mack was considered by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole to serve as his vice- presidential running mate.

In February 2001, Senator Connie Mack joined the government relations’ practice at the law firm Shaw Pittman as Senior Policy Advisor. Senator Mack works with the firm’s clients to develop and implement strategies to successfully achieve their legislative policy goals. Currently, Senator Mack serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute as well as on a number of boards, civic and volunteer organizations.

During his congressional career, Senator Mack played a key role in the passage of laws dealing with health care, financial modernization, modification of the tax code, and public housing reform. A cancer survivor, Senator Mack has also been a strong advocate for cancer research, early detection and treatment. Senator Mack led a historic bipartisan congressional effort to double funding for biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health and worked tirelessly to secure the necessary appropriations. He is past president and founding trustee of the American Cancer Society Foundation. He has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards over the years, including the 1999 National Coalition for Cancer Research Lifetime Achievement Award; American Cancer Society’s 1992 Courage Award and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s Betty Ford Award.

Mack helped define the framework of landmark legislation to allow the financial industry to respond appropriately to the increasing demands of an aggressive global marketplace. He has a long history of fighting for debt-deficit reduction. He co-authored and introduced into the House the landmark Gramm-Rudman deficit reduction law.

In recognition of his ability to forge coalitions and function as one of the most successful bridge builders between various po9litical interests, he was singled out by his Republican colleagues into councils of leadership. In addition to his Chairmanship of the Republican Conference, he served as the Republican Conference Secretary. He was the Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee for two terms and served on the Senate Finance, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Appropriations, Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees during his congressional career.

Senator Mack’s interest in economic affairs stems from his 16 years in the banking industry; five of those years as president of the Florida National Bank of Lee County. Educated at the University of Florida, he holds a degree in marketing and business.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 29, 1940, Senator Mack has been married since September 1960 to the former Priscilla Hobbs, a native of Fort Myers. They are the parents of two children and the grandparents of four. Their son, Connie H. Mack, was recently elected to the Florida House of Representatives for District 91.

Senator Mack is the grandson of legendary baseball manager and owner of the Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack. The Senator’s great-grandfather, John Sheppard, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from the sate of Texas, as did his maternal grandfather, Morris Sheppard. Morris Sheppard was later elected to the U.S. Senate. Senator Mack’s step-father, Tom Connally, also served in the Senate representing Texas.